Speaking at the opening of this meeting, initiated by the Institute of Applied Geopolitics Studies, the interim president of the Mohammed V University of Rabat, Farid El Bacha, welcomed the Atlantic Initiative launched by HM the King to promote access of the Sahel States to the Atlantic Ocean.
Despite the many challenges facing the African continent in terms of food security, peace and stability, Africa has considerable potential, particularly in natural resources, he also said.
“We must realize that the African continent is capable of everything possible,” added Mr. El Bacha, during this conference organized in partnership with the Faculty of Legal, Economic and Social Sciences (FSJES) of Souissi and the Center d analysis and foresight on Africa.
African governance is reflected in the strong enthusiasm of African states for the defense of international law and the fundamental principles of the Charter of the United Nations (UN), such as the maintenance of peace, the protection of human rights, the promotion sustainable development, noted, for his part, the director of the Legal and Political Studies and Research Laboratory, Abdelmounaim El Gueddari.
He underlined the active action of many African States for the establishment of a fair and balanced international order, noting that the accession of the African Union (AU) to the G20, as a permanent member, constitutes an asset for the continent and allows it to defend the interests of the most disadvantaged countries.
The integration of the AU within the G20 is a victory and a consecration of the emergence of Africa as a geopolitical power on the international scene, underlined, for his part, the dean of the FSJES, Azzedine Ghoufrane , arguing that the Global South is an actor capable of writing its own narrative and setting its own interests and strategies.
The continent today has considerable demographic and economic potential allowing it to influence global economic and political governance, he further argued, noting that “Afro-optimism will always prevail over Afro-pessimism.
This two-day conference, which is in its 3rd edition, constitutes a unique platform for dialogue, exchange of expertise and sharing of good practices between African and international actors.
The program includes sessions around different themes, including “Historical approaches to Africa’s role in global governance (1952-2022)”, “The levers of power of African regional actors”, “International governance, resources, climate: the response of African powers to global issues” and “Africa’s voice in global governance”.